Rebel with a Cause by Natalie Anderson Read Free Book Online Page B

last? Sophy thought it was a bit of a shame. But, unable to resist, she watched. His jeans hung that little bit low on his hips, an old tee was stretched across his broad shoulders. His feet were bare. He had his phone trapped between ear and shoulder and his voice carried across the still yard. As did his laughter.
    She should probably close the window.
    Instead she switched on her computer. She’d concentrate on the work. Not listen to every word winging through the window.
    Â 
    â€˜So what’s the castle like?’ Lorenzo asked.
    Alex had taken Dani to Italy on a belated but extendedhoneymoon. They were staying in some castle for a few weeks.
    â€˜Amazing. As it should be for the price. How’s Cara?’
    â€˜Shattered but holding her own, I think.’ He swirled the brush through the paint. ‘She loved the flowers. She said the baby is tiny but she’s doing well.’
    â€˜You’ve not been to see her yet?’
    â€˜No.’ Lorenzo winced.
    â€˜Renz—’
    â€˜Not my scene, Alex, you know that.’ Happy families weren’t him. He was concerned for Cara, of course he was, and he’d sent over a ton of presents, asked if there was anything he could do. Of course there wasn’t, she and her husband and their entire extended families had it together. So he didn’t have to go and feel awkward around them.
    â€˜What about the Whistle Fund? Did you find someone to help out?’ Alex moved on.
    â€˜Yeah,’ Lorenzo sighed. ‘Cara did—a friend’s younger sister or something. One of those socialites who likes to be involved.’ Lorenzo jabbed a fence paling with the brush. ‘She’s so damn efficient. Organised. Officious. She looks like a frigid girl scout.’
    Alex laughed. ‘So many adjectives, Renz—she bothering you?’
    â€˜No.’ If only he knew.
    Alex laughed even harder—okay, so he knew he was lying. ‘So she’s a babe?’
    Lorenzo slapped some paint on even thicker. Yes, she was a babe. In more ways than one. All big blue eyes and blonde hair that begged to be ruffled. Hot-looking but with an air of innocence that Lorenzo wasn’t at all sure that he should taint. ‘She’s doing the job. That’s all that matters.’
    The job would be done—brilliantly—and he’d find apermanent replacement very soon. Because he had too much else to do to be fixating on her all the time like this.
    He ended the call to Alex, finished up the fence. Picking up the can, he swung round, glanced up to the first floor. The window to her office was open but he couldn’t see anyone sitting at the desk. Kat must have opened it.
    He jogged up to his apartment—scrubbed the paint off in the shower. But he had an itch that just had to be scratched. He had to go have another look, see if he could make her spark again. It was like she’d put some kind of homing device in him, drawing him near. He went down to Reception and stole the mail from Kat’s tray. Then his feet just went to where she was. Irresistible.
    â€˜You going out with your boy friend tonight?’ he asked. So lame. So unsubtle.
    She froze where she was bent over a pile of papers.
    â€˜You should come to the bar. It’s the opening night.’
    â€˜You’re that desperate for customers?’ She looked up, all frost. Touchy this morning.
    â€˜Actually no. We’re confident it’ll do the business. I just thought you might like to see it.’ He leaned his frame against the door. ‘It’s a nice little place, intimate. You can cuddle on a sofa in the corner.’ Would she be the type to cuddle in public? Somehow he didn’t think so—she had that aloof thing going. ‘Or you can work up a sweat on the dance floor. Oh…’ he paused deliberately ‘…you’ll be on the sofa, then, won’t you?’
    â€˜I like to dance.’
    His muscles